PARIS IN DARKNESS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13290, 20 May 1907, Page 7

PARIS IN DARKNESS.

STRIKE OF ELECTRICIANS. An industrial calamity which is iierkaps unequalled in French history overtook Pans on March Bth. At a very few hours' notice the- whole of the workmen employed en the electric light station struck work, and Paris, "the city of light," was plunged into darkness. About three-fourths of Paris is lit by electricity; this includes the chief business houses, the principal newspapar oirices. and public buildings. About four-fifths of the Paris daily papers rely for their motor power on electricity supplied from the, company's mains. Consequently, important newspapers were struck helpless by the sudden cessation of electric energy. There are two newspapers which are an exception to the general rule, inasmuch as they generate there own motor force, and they appeared as usual The principal theatres, notable the Opera, the. Opera Comique, the Comedie Franchise, the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt, the Gymnase, and many of the music halls were unable to give their usual nightly performances, and their pecuniary losses will be considerable.

The scene in the city at night baffles description. The people", fearing that riot and rapine would follow, fled to their homes, leaving the grand boulevards dark and deserted. Rioting was feared, and the Government taken completely by surprise, was panic-stricken. Frantic messages were sent to the military governor ordering all the troops to be "held in readiness, and also to the Prefect of Police, calling out all the police reserves. So police, military and firemen were at their posts, and Paris wore a terrified, frightened look, with this industrial enemy within her gates. Some of the principal shops which usually remain o]>en after dark, solved the lighting problem by putting up their shutters, and closing their doors. Many of the cafes aho closrd. Those that elected to remain open, were illuminated by candles, hnn-ie-dlv purchased at famine prices. R-iws of thc.-e stuck in wine bottles ornamented the inside and outside of these establishment*. Some of the cafe proprietors added Chine e lanterns, hung in rows on the outside of the cafes.

The grocers and oil merchants reaped a rich harvest. Lamps and oil were bought at unheard-of prices. Shops sold out "in very little time, and hundreds of disappointed would-be customers had to be sent away empty-handed. There was'a general dislocation of the postal and telephonic services. The evening mails from England and from the Continent remained undelivered.

Tli- strike lasted only 30 hours, and the lighting was resumed during the second evening. Tn order"~iuu !<> be beaten two theatres which were served by the. company? mains opened their doors. were the Opera Comique and -trie Anionic. The stages of both were lit by the automobile lamp*, candles stuck in bottle* served the onhe-tra, while the auditoriums were iluminated bv paraffin lamps and Chinese Innterns. But there is a humorous side to this c'ihplav of managerial enterprise. It. i* a l.r-.-uh of the law to illuminate I heat re? bv caudles and oil. kjluu priMi-c commissary lias already vmmonrd Hip managers-of both theatre*. Just befoie.th" performance ended, how-T-r. the electric wires began to hum, and soon the lamps burned once more. The audiences, thus made aware of the let nun-

ation of the strike, stood up and cheered. The newspapers had a hard fight, too. The majority appeared in an attenuated form,. arid generally some hours later than usual. Huge locomobiles were hired by several journals to supply the necessary power for their plant. One printing office in the Ri;e Montmartre, ran off no less than six newspapers bj" working continuously. As soon as they finished one set of sterios •i, fresh set was placed on the machine. •The " Petit Parisien," with possibilities of a big f.coop before its eyes, went to press two hours earlier than usual, and printed 2.500,000 copies, which it claims is a record. CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.

The workmen employed by the Electric Lighting Company were known to have grievance--; of long standing, but the general public did not take them seriously, and repeated warnings as to the probability' of a general strike passed practically unnoticed. As far back as July last "the workmen's union demanded an eight hours' day and pensions on lel iremen t. Negotiations were carried on with the then existing company, who, according to the striker", undertook to concede their ' demands in full. Quite recently a fresh company was granted the monopoly of electrically lighting Paris, guaranteeing to cheapen the, price to consumers. The new company took over the electric lighting plant a few days before, and in 'rwilit-Y they had no time to- consider the demands of the. employees. The latter, however, apparently decided that- it was a favourable moment for striking a- blow that would astonish all Paris.

The company was taken unawares. It had ■ made no 'arrangements for supplying auxiliary service of electricity, or of replacing' the. men called _ out on strike. The directors looked upon the : ultimatum as mere bluff, but they were wrong. The day shift' finished at five o'clock, and the night shift, instead of commencing work, repaired to the Bourse, du Travail. For about five minutes the/ electric* lamps of Paris burned steadily, and then went out. leaving the city to be swallowed up in darkness. A "statistician has concluded that the gross less incurred by employers and 'enroloved during the thirty hours' strike is between £1,000,000 'and £1,500, 000.

GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION. The Premier sought out the employees, and by an official mouthpiece very plainly. gave "them to' understand that if they counted upon the Government playing the role of passive spectators, they had made a great mistake. He said he would unhesitatingly employ the military m an industrial "sense to bring the strikers to their senses. " Paris," he said, " must be lighted to-morrow night. ,If you men don't do it, then the Government by the aid of military will do it." Ths strikers", over-awed, probably by the ultimatum, speedily capitulated. They asked for a guarantee that the -promises already made -to them should be carried out. and that, further, none of the men implicated in the strike should suffer. This guarantee was given. The men then agreed to resume work, and by eleven o'clock that night a portion of Paris, including one or two of the theatres, was again lighted by electricity, and next day all the plant was fully manned. LESSON OF THE-' STRIKE. The newspapers printed long articles on the struggle- There was a personal touch of bitterness underlining- their observations, for they spoke from the point of view of material sufferers. "Le Matin" referred to the ridiculous ease with which a few hundred workmen can plunge Paris in darkness. It castigates the . emnloyers for their lack cf foresight, in failing to inform their consumers of the actual state of affairs, and asked what guarantee had Paris that the struggle 'would not recommence.

The moral of the strike, " L-e -Matin." contends, is that. Ihe city, if she wishes to e : c'ape from more nights of darkness, should see that her electric lighting is handed over to the- municipality. At present it is about to-' be given to a company, and this company has shown its ability to bring about a strike with its employees. .